Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, it’s election season, once again. This is called an off-year election, because it is not a presidential election. Politics has become so partisan and dividing, it is hard to imagine any election being an off-year, any longer. Whoever said there is no difference in our political parties, hasn’t been paying attention. We have a clear choice between tea or coffee. If you are a moderate or independent voter you might have to add some milk and sugar to enable you to make a more palatable choice. partisanship is so extreme, the problem is that the voter is hard pressed to see any change transpire.
We, citizens, get a chance to be heard. Although, some people believe, our vote doesn’t make a difference, it does, and we need to let our voices be really listened to. The question is whether or not anyone is listening to what the voters are saying?

 </p If our votes did not make a difference then why would we be seeing many states make such a huge effort to disenfranchise voters and limit their access to the polls? Whether it is voter ID laws, or making it harder for students to vote, there is an effort to reduce turnout. In the 19 th Century nearly 80% of eligible voters, voted. Now with the electronic and computer age our turnout is getting lower. Oregon leads by example, by having a solid vote by mail system which has increased voter turnout. Maybe if you are on the losing side of where the future demographics indicate where we are going, you would want to cheat as well. What we need is greater voter involvement and not less.
It would be nice to have a more informed electorate. Our 30 second commercials do nothing to educate, instead the object is quite the contrary, the intent of these commercials is to build up the negative impression that the voters have of one candidate. Unless the intent of commercials is to inform, to tell the truth that can be verified, then they should be illegal, as their entire purpose is to denigrate the other candidate. A longer ad that is biographical is much better, in that it informs the voter about who the candidate is.
The campaign themes are shaping up with those who drink tea, having the following themes: The Penny Plan, a Constitutional Amendment which would mandate budgetary cut of 1 % a year until the budget is balanced.
They intend to bring up the old bromide of replacing the tax code with a flat tax. It would be nice to know more details, such as what would the tax rate be and would that include everyone, irrespective of how much money they make. Part of the plan would be to do away with deductions, including the homeowners deduction.
Their plan to do away with Obamacare is to have states decide, through the use of a new tactic called the commandeering of federal funds. It is a repackaging of what was called nullification, based upon the outmoded and rejected concept of state sovereignty. I thought we had a Civil WaR that resolved the issue of federal law versus state laws.
If you favor coffee, a minimum wage increase leads the way, in the pantheon of current campaign issues.
The Democratic Party has its own issues within the party between populists and blue dog Democrats.
The Republicans have issues between the Wall Street and Tea Party Republicans. The contest may very well help determine the outcome of where the Republican Party will go in the future.
The fight for the future of the soul of the Democratic Party is quietly underway as well.
Let the games begin!